Trill

The Trill come from a beautiful, Class M world called Trillius Prime which orbits two stars, one Type A7 V (white, dim dwarf), the other Type O4 V (blue, bright dwarf). The two stars are in close orbit, with planets orbiting the center of mass. Trillius is the sixth of nine planets, with predominately rocky worlds in the inner orbits (planetary Class D and F) and Class G "sludgeballs" in the outer orbits. By the 24th century, Starfleet established a starbase orbiting the outermost planet to provide for system defense.

The Trill homeworld is Earth-like - oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, 70% water, and a gravity of about 1.1g. The planet is on average hotter than Earth, with a mean temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The landscape consists primarily of densely packed forest, although extensive ice fields exist in the polar regions. Due to the unique chemical composition of the water, oceans on Trill are purple.

Personality

Trill do not possess a stereotypical personality, except for their universal concern for the symbionts. Every Trill child grows up with the hope of being assigned a symbiont, and those joined with a symbiont guard it with their lives. Much of their society revolves around these extraordinary beings.

As with humans, Trill personalities run the gamut from kindness to curmudgeon, openness to introspection, optimism to cynicism. They are generally open to new experiences, eager to discover more about the universe, and willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. Joined Trill in particular seem to be especially outgoing and inquisitive.

Physiology

Outwardly, Trill appear much like humans. They stand 1.5 to 2 meters in height, with weight ranges similar to humans, as well. Skin tones range from light pink to olive, but no darker. Hair and eye color is almost universally dark - brown, black, as well as other shades. What distinguishes Trill from humans or other humanoids are two rows or dark brown spots that run down their bodies from their foreheads to their heels. These are distinctive to each individual Trill, as fingerprints are to a human, or head ridges are to a Klingon.

Internally, joined Trill are distinguished by their symbiont. A cavity above the stomach holds the symbiont and provides several neurological connections for the symbiont to link up. The symbionts themselves appear as small, sightless vermiform, approximately half a meter in length.

History

Trill history has been marked by a surprising lack of violence. Their annals record no wars or social upheaval, and they have experienced an unending history of peace and prosperity, largely due to the presence of the symbionts.

The First Joining

Although Trill history recounts the First Joining between host and symbiont, it says little about origins of the species. There are two theories as to the genesis of their symbiotic relationship. One suggests that the symbionts, already intellectually highly-developed, realized the limitations of their form and "invented" hominid life. By chemically manipulating amino acids and proteins found in the water combined with bio-electric discharges, they encouraged the evolution of sapient bipedal life over thousands of years. Another theory holds that humanoid Trill migrated to their current homeworld, perhaps fleeing some planetary disaster or merely seeking to colonize another world. Once on Trillius, they discovered the symbionts and agreed to the peculiar arrangement they have to this day.

The Federation Era

Since the 22nd century, the Trill have been known to the Federation. During this period, a handful of Trill wandered the Galaxy as adventurers, scientists, and explorers. They remained neutral in Galactic politics, and kept the location of their homeworld a secret, to protect the symbionts from what the Trill saw as more primitive and warlike species, though they frequently offered their "good offices" to negotiate settlements between political rivals. Although Trill joined the Federation in the late-23rd century, they kept the nature of symbiosis and the identity of the symbionts a secret. It was not until an emergency involving Ambassador Odan that the Federation learned of the symbiotic relationship.

Society

The symbiont forms the center of Trill society. They have touched every aspect of Trill culture, and society revolves around them. Rules governing marriage, the education system, the legal system - all have been designed to account for the needs of the symbionts. In fact, it is impossible to discuss Trill society independently of the symbionts.

Trill are a species of over-achievers, as they all crave symbiosis with a centuries-old intellect. Federation psychologists believe that Trill somehow feel incomplete without a symbiont, that joining may be a biological impulse that gradually wears off with age. As the product of millennia of symbiosis, Trill society is highly advanced and highly sophisticated. They possess a rich trove of literature, music, and art.

The Symbiosis Commission

This body of five official oversees all aspects regarding symbionts. While a vast bureaucracy of life scientists tend the spawning pools in the Caves of Mak'ala that hold unjoined symbionts - maintaining their temperature, the delicate chemical balance of the water, and providing sustenance - the commission screens applicants to the symbiont program. Only the best and brightest are selected to join, and even many exceptionally qualified applicants are rejected; the process is very competitive. Even those who qualify mentally and academically must also pass a physical examination, for it is widely believed that only one in a thousand Trill can join. The Commission matches the personalities and capabilities of host to symbiont to achieve the maximum benefit not only to both symbiont and Trill, but also to society.

Little known, however, is the truth, that almost half of all Trill possess the physical and mental requirements to join. No special training is required, nor do the symbionts themselves require highly-educated hosts. The Symbiosis Commission suppresses this information because there are not enough symbionts to meet demand. Were the secret to get out, the Symbiosis Commission fears social upheaval as citizens clamor to join. Thus, they maintain the fiction that symbiosis is a privilege to be earned through achievement.

Joining

For a Trill to be considered eligible to join, they must undergo a rigorous training program designed to screen out those mentally, psychologically, and physically unfit. To present a suitable host for the fantastically old and educated symbionts, all Trill children attend school for much of their childhood (eight hours per day, every day of the week, for most of the year). The requirements are stringent and most who apply fail the rigorous admission exams.

When joined, a Trill undergoes an operation to implant the selected symbiont. Once joined, host and symbiont become biologically interdependent and after 93 hours neither can survive without the other. Should the symbiont be removed, the host usually dies within 24 hours. The host experiences physical and psychological changes as his personality and that of the symbiont merge into a hybrid persona. Personality traits such as favorite food, treasured book, or handedness might change. The host gains the memories of the symbiont's past lives, and since symbionts can live for centuries, passing from host to host, it may contain the experiences of many Trill. This can be disorienting for the newly joined host, as he finds himself attracted to new "old" friends, and remembering experiences he didn't directly go through.

The new, hybrid lifeform is considered to be another person under Trill law, and does not have to uphold commitments of previous hosts.

There is one strong taboo associated with joining - that of reassociation with former spouses and relatives of a previous host. Such an occurrence can be extremely disorienting for both the host and the symbiont. Loved ones have a difficult time reconciling old feelings with a new face, and can find new personality traits both confusing and upsetting. The host often feels as though his feelings have been hijacked, as he loves people he's never met and feels differently towards his own friends and family. And the symbiont is caught in the emotional storm. Joined Trill who violate this custom are ostracized, and when they die their symbiont is not passed on to another host so that it, too, will die.

Some Joined Trill cannot safely use a transporter.

Reference(s)

• Bridges, Bill, et al. Star Trek Roleplaying Game Book 5: Aliens, Decipher, 2003. ISBN: 1582369070.